Announcing the Kistler Family Endowed Fund

There are a few words synonymous with Church Farm School. Shreiner. Greystock. Pageant.  If you mention the Kistler family, almost every alumnus between 1968 and 2018 fondly recalls Jack or John Kistler, a father and son who spent a combined almost 70 years in service to Church Farm School as administrators, teachers, coaches and mentors. Jack said about his transition to CFS from Episcopal Academy: “The kids at Episcopal had everything and knew everything. I felt I could do so much more here.”

John, CFS’ former athletic director and camp director, was eager to follow in his father’s footsteps. He left the Perkiomen School for CFS and never looked back. His impact on the athletic program, in particular, was legendary – bringing multiple teams to KSAC Championships, introducing new sports at CFS, helping oversee the construction of the Founder’s Pavilion in 1996 and co-founding the Wrestling Invitational with his father in 1989. In addition to their long tenures at CFS, the father and son (Jack passed in 2016) have received many accolades from the school. Both are in the CFS Hall of Athletic Honor, and John was awarded the school’s prestigious Newt Disney Service Award in 2018.

 

The extended Kistler family has been omnipresent at Church Farm School, too. Jack and his wife, Beckie (who received the 2024 J. Tyler Griffin Award for Ambassadorship), raised their family on Church Farm School’s campus, bringing them to most athletic competitions and the Pageant each year. John and his wife, Marilyn, also raised their family on the CFS campus. John’s sister, Padgett, is married to 45+-year teacher, coach and administrator Art Smith. Padge’s brother Chapman and sister Kelly, and all of their children and grandchildren, have been common faces at CFS. What better way to honor the Kistler family’s enormous contributions to Church Farm School than by creating a new, endowed fund in their honor. Donate now!